The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has strongly defended the agency's enforcement of the ban on alcohol sold in sachets, warning that the easy availability of such products is fueling addiction among Nigerian children.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE Television, Adeyeye stated that public health concerns, particularly the protection of minors, outweighed commercial interests.
“We are making our children addicts,” she said, explaining that the high alcohol concentration—between 43% and 45%—in small, concealable sachets makes them easily accessible to underage persons.
Adeyeye clarified that NAFDAC is not banning alcohol entirely, but specifically prohibiting its sale in small packaging. “It is only in small packages that we are banning,” she noted.
The policy originated in 2018 when NAFDAC raised concerns about the health risks of sachet alcohol. An agreement was subsequently reached with manufacturers, under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health, giving them a five-year moratorium to phase out sachet production by January 31, 2024. This deadline was later extended by one year following legislative appeals, expiring in December 2025.
Adeyeye said enforcement resumed after a directive from the Senate, despite continued pressure from producers for further extensions. She dismissed the effectiveness of warning labels in Nigeria, questioning who would enforce them.
The NAFDAC chief also refuted claims that the agency had been served a court injunction halting the ban, and clarified that enforcement actions targeted specific production lines rather than entire companies.
She emphasized that the policy aligns with Nigeria’s international commitments to prevent easy alcohol access for vulnerable populations and warned of long-term health damage, stating that early alcohol exposure “slowly fries the liver.”
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